Military Life
Before leaving on her first deployment to Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, Ryaja Johnson Rhone was flooded with requests from friends, family and coworkers to stay in touch and send pictures throughout the five months. She knew there was no way she'd be able to keep in contact with each person individually. So
Kids
Eighteen-month-old Kelson Walker just couldn't keep his excitement to himself upon seeing his father, Staff Sgt. Kenny Walker, standing at attention in the front of the room with his fellow Airmen of the Washington Air National Guard's 116th Air Support Operations Squadron. The toddler shrieked and pointed proudly several times toward
Operation Family Support
In the early 1980s, Jack Gamble, a retired Air Force major general who was working at Madigan Army Medical Center, came across a military spouse who couldn't afford a stroller to push her newborn around in. Gamble refused to sit idle and watch that young mother and other's needs like hers
Operation Family Support
Each time people purchase or exchange a Blue Rhino propane gas tank at various locations throughout the Puget Sound, they'll be helping to support local servicemembers. Thanks to a new partnership with the United Service Organization Puget Sound Area (USOPSA), Blue Rhino will donate one cent per gallon purchased locally -
Focus
Unlike some other Air Force career fields, in Senior Master Sgt. Steve Harris' line of work not everything is detailed in an Air Force Instruction manual. Dignity, honor, respect and constantly thinking of others first make up the foundation of the life of mortuary affairs Airmen. "All that stuff is very important
Focus
It didn't take long for 1st Lt. Diana Dillard to recall the moment her career in aviation began to really take off. After earning an "A" for the semester in a class in the aviation technology program at Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup, Dillard was invited to take a free
Operation Family Support
Catered dinners for spouses whose husbands are deployed are designed to reach out to spouses new to the base. But sometimes getting them to attend is the hardest part. "It can be pretty scary for them," said Melissa Rendon, a Key Spouse with the 62nd Maintenance Squadron at McChord Field. Each squadron's Key
Focus
Even though he'd heard it many times over, each time Master Sgt. Don Walsh had to sit through a Self Aid Buddy Care briefing, he still paid attention diligently. When it finally came time for him to utilize the training, instinct just took over. The Washington Air National Guardsman was attending a
Neighborhoods
If you ask longtime Antique Sandwich Company customer Carol Dawson to name her favorite dish, she freezes up. "Very favorite? Whoa!" replied Dawson, who's been coming to the Tacoma restaurant located blocks away from Point Defiance Park since it opened in the early 1970s. She gathers her thoughts and does her
Operation Family Support
For those looking to finally break out the golf clubs and enjoy some spring weather, there are several local golf tournaments in the next couple months that benefit a host of military organizations and causes. Eagles Pride Golf Course (Exit 116 off I-5) will host the 4th annual golf tournament to
Focus
Staff Sgt. Timothy Davis, an Air Force combat controller, was killed in combat in Afghanistan in February 2009. Although he's been gone for more than two years, his sister, 2nd Lt. Noel Carroll, feels perhaps as close to her older brother than she ever has. Master Sgt. Michael Maltz, an Air Force
News Articles
After acknowledging how proud he was to be joining such an amazing group of Air National Guardsman as the newest commander of the Western Air Defense Sector at McChord Field, Col. Peter Stavros broke down his leadership motto to terms even a kindergartner could understand. "There are three basic rules I
Focus
Like a choreographed dance, Soldiers from the 3rd Stryker Brigade's 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment move in perfect unison with each command shouted out. Some Soldiers scurry to grab the next 90-pound, 155mm high-explosive round to load in the M-777 Howitzer while others make the necessary adjustments to set the
Veterans
Air Force veteran Fred Higaki was helped by numerous volunteers throughout his 22-year military career. When Higaki retired from his civilian job as a pilot with Northwest Airlines in 2004, he decided it was time he started giving back. So the former lieutenant colonel and C-130 Hercules pilot started volunteering with the
Focus
The long, narrow climb up the ladder system inside the tail of a C-17 Globemaster III to change a light bulb or fix a panel is no walk in the park. Factor in inclement weather and the constant buzz of flightline activity, and you have a recipe for disaster for a
Health
Airmen needing physical therapy to help rehabilitate an injury have a new resource - just minutes away from their workplace - to aid in their recovery. The McChord Physical Therapy Clinic, located inside the McChord Clinic, opened Monday. The 950 square-foot facility, which previously served as a temporary home for the
Focus
Don't be surprised if in the future months you see a pack of bicyclists one day a week sharing the roads of Joint Base Lewis-McChord with Stryker vehicles. The lure of bicycle racing a strong pull, and one veteran who works on JBLM has caught the fever. Landon Sealey, a 10-year Marine
Features
If you ask longtime Antique Sandwich Company customer Carol Dawson to name her favorite dish, she freezes up. "Very favorite? Whoa!" replied Dawson, who's been coming to the Tacoma restaurant located blocks away from Point Defiance Park since it opened in the early 1970s. She gathers her thoughts and does her best
Focus
Like a proud father, Staff Sgt. Nahkoma Doyle sat at a table inside the newly completed Airman Activities Center inside Bldg. 572 and gushed about the work a group of Airmen put in to get the project completed. "This whole thing was their idea," said Doyle, the dormitory manager. "It was
Military Life
When Staff Sgt. Josh Stokes couldn't find a local car club that fit his and his 1950 Mercury's style, he decided to start one himself. So Stokes, a Soldier from the 2nd Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord who lives in University Place, and two other military buddies started the Piston Hounds
